Antipode
by Mr. Beast
Summary: Things that don't mix sometimes react. Series of drabbles, loose plot, possibly somewhat achronological in later chapters. IchiHitsu, Captain!Ichigo possibly some peripheral ByaRenji. Maybe some other stuff.
1. In Later Years

_Author's note: Okay, this is the first thing I've written on this site in a _really_ long time, so have sympathy. This is going to end up being a series of drabbles, following a loose plot, probably in a somewhat achronological order. So, if you're into that sort of thing, bear with me. I'm rating this T just to be safe. I probably won't raise it to M, since I'm bad at writing porn, and even romance in general. This may end up being IchiHitsu, since I'm a huge queer. There may be other pairings on the periphery, it depends in how I manage to develop the dynamics between the characters. This first chapter is just to lay out some background. I can't say I'm too happy with it, but it gets the job done for what I have in mind in later chapters. Take it for what it is._

Having your soul forced from body by an oncoming bus, as it turns out, was an altogether different experience from the many times Kurosaki Ichigo had been knocked out of his body by the wide array of paraphernalia he had used in the past to take his shinigami form. In later years, he would look back upon this day as merely transitioning from his original body to using gigai when he had to traverse the material world. He was, after all, dead anyway. He was dead the moment the chain grounding him to his body was severed, which was quite some time ago. However, such technicalites are not likely to occur to you after being hit by a bus. The screaming crowd, paramedics carting his body away covered by a sheet, having to explain what happened to everyone he knew who could see and hear him, and having to sit beside his family at his own funeral as they pretended to be sad rather than annoyed or amused really made the whole ordeal feel much worse at the time than he would later remember it being.

Fortunately, at the end of it all, he had the elusive and infuriatingly vague Urahara Kisuke to put a few things in perspective.

"Ah, Kurosaki-san, you certainly can't go back to living your old life anymore, now that you've been officially declared dead in the living world. Not that your old life had been quite that normal lately anyway." Urahara said.

"So what do I do?" Ichigo asked, annoyed. He had been annoyed almost perpetually for the last two weeks.

"Well, fortunately, you still have duties that you can fufill as you are, and a place in another world. Most don't get that luxury of oppourtunity when they die."

"You don't mean...?"

"There is a place for you in Soul Society." This was not Urahara speaking.

Hitsugaya Tōshirō had appeared in the dorway of the Urahara Shōten.

"Tōshirō?" Ichigo gave him a puzzled look. Hitsugaya was visibly agitated by Ichigo's use of his given name, but said nothing. Urahara smirked, and Hitsugaya continued.

"As you know, there are some vacancies in the higher ranks of Soul Society, and only a handful of Shinigami able to fill them. Many have singled you out as a suitable candidate for a position as a division captain, and recent events seem to have made it more feasible."

"Me? A captain?" The notion was somewhat suprising to Ichigo.

"A terrifying thought, I know. Zaraki seemed pretty enthusiastic about it. Not many shinigami get an oppourtunity like this, you should be grateful."

"And what if I don't want the oppourtunity?"

"Then instead, consider it a responsibility. You have few choices, Kurosaki Ichigo, and this is by far the best one for you."

In later years, Ichigo would look back upon the choice he made that day, and wonder why he was ever unsure to begin with. Later that day, however, he silently nodded his assent, and tentatively followed Captain Hitsugaya and the hell butterflies through the senkaimon to Soul Society.


	2. Hanko

_Author's Note: Woo. Writing drabbles is bloody easy. Due to the length of these chapters, I should be updating fairly frequently. I don't think I'll end up writing anything more than 1000 words. Just another background chapter right now, and I expect to have a few more done within the next couple of days... I just want to get a few things out of the way first, then the real drabble nature will flow. Again, bear with me._

Adjusting to life in Soul Society was remarkably seamless for Ichigo. Despite the military-like structure, things were pretty relaxed, although Ichigo had the luxury of being neither a ranked officer or a member of any particular division just yet. Therefore, he had no responsibilities and no superior officer to answer to directly. He was, however, a little annoyed to find that he would not be immediately given the rank of captain. Even more annoyed at that was Captain Hitsugaya, who was delegated the task of training Ichigo in the duties of a captain.

Late one morning, after Ichigo had been in Soul Society for about a week, Hitsugaya came to his quarters unexpectedly, and demanded that he get dressed quickly and come to the 10th division headquarters to begin Ichigo's training. A half hour later, Ichigo was walking alongside a very agitated little captain to the 10th division headquarters.

"So, Tōshirō, how long do you think it will be until they give me a division?" Ichigo asked as they approached the entrance to the courtyard.

"You will have to wait until later this afternoon. And you are to call me Hitsugaya-taichō, not Tōshirō." Hitsugaya snapped.

"This afternoon? They're making me a captain already?"

"No, they're not making you a captain yet. They will be promoting two other shinigami to captain this afternoon. You're going to be assigned to a temporary position in a division just before that."

They had entered the division building, and walked towards Hitsugaya's office.

"But you're going to start my training now?"

They entered Hitsugaya's office, and Hitsugaya walked towards his desk.

"I have to go speak with the captain general. You are to seal and date each of these reports. I expect them to be done before I see you again."

Hitsugaya pushed a ten centimetre tall stack of paper towards Ichigo, and handed him a pen, ink pad and hanko. He was gone before Ichigo had even made a noise of dismay.

-

"Wait.. what?"

Hitsugaya Tōshirō stared incredulously at his superior. He wasn't quite sure if he had heard correctly, and was dreading the possibility that he had.

"Kurosaki Ichigo will act as your vice captain in the absense of Matsumoto-fukutaichō until such a time that he is ready to take the rank of captain. You will then make preperations for finding a permanent vice captain. In the meantime, as you see to it that he masters the remaining requirements for becoming a captain, he will be your lieutennant."

It was as though a shadow of despair had crept over the small captain. While he would certainly miss having Matsumoto around, he would not miss her laziness and irresponsibility. He was quite looking forward to promoting his dilligent and industrious 3rd seat to the vice captain's position. Now he was to delay that promotion and delegate authority within his own division to _Kurosaki_. This was certainly not a step up from Matsumoto.

He looked up to Yamamoto-Genryussai pleadingly. "But... sōtaichō, can't he enter my division as an unseated officer? Or a lower ranking position? I was planning to promote my 3rd seat-"

"Kurosaki will take Matsumoto's former rank of 10th division vice captain temporarily. It has already been decided. When Kurosaki-fukutaichō is prepared to take the captain's seat in the 5th division, you may promote your third seat. Kurosaki will be promoted this afternoon."

Hitsugaya supressed the urge to groan, and made a mental note to chide Matsumoto for having obtained bankai and applied for a captain's position. He had no doubt in her ability to pass the examination, but how she had managed to be sufficiently reccomended with herreputation for irresponsibility and laziness had thoroughly baffled him.

"I understand." Tōshiro said, and after bowing low to Yamamoto, turned to leave.

"Hitsugaya-taichō," Yamamoto began. Tōshirō did not respond.

"You will, of course, be responsible for Kurosaki until he is promoted."

Were he capable of hearing such things, Yamamoto-sōtaichō would have heard a small part of Hitsugaya dying inside as he left the room.


	3. Reasons

_Author's note: This chapter is sort of a release valve for my tension right now, as I'm in the midst of writing a term paper. I'm happy with this one, and promise that the OC will only be a peripheral character. Also, this chapter is sort of stepping out of the chronological order of the plot. I'll probably be taking it slow over the next week or two, as I have finals and essays to focus on, but if I have the time, I'll probably post another one within the next week. Thanks to all who have reviewed. Some criticism would be nice, though. Also, if anyone is interested in beta reading for me (all my interwebz friends would make fun of me if they knew I wrote fanfiction :o), let me know, and leave an email, MSN or AIM for me to contact. Enjoy._

It came as a bit of a suprise to the 9th division, and most of the seated officers in the Gotei 13 when neither Abarai Renji or Hisagi Shūhei was promoted to the 9th division captain's seat. Most had expected one of the two vice captains to eventually take the captaincy, however, Hisagi had secretly had his doubts about taking the position, and never applied. Renji had applied, but was suprised to find that the only captain to reccomend him was Zaraki.

It came as a huge suprise to Renji that the 6th division's third seat officer, the rather unassuming, quiet and humble Takeno Shunsuke, who had occupied the third seat in the sixth division before Renji had even graduated from the academy, had been convinced by Kuchiki Byakuya to take the captain's examination, and had stunned the captains of the Gotei 13 with his refined skill, pleasant yet professional demeanor and an outstanding reccomendation from the notoriously difficult to please or impress Captain Kuchiki.

When Renji asked his captain why he had been passed over for the third seat, Byakuya gave a rare smile, albeit a slight one, and reminded Renji that the reason he had entered the 6th division in the first place was to surpass him, and until he had not at least brought himself close to that goal, Kuchiki would not give him his reccomendation. From that day on, Renji sparred with either Ichigo or Ikakku daily, and vowed never to forget why he had become the 6th division's vice captain. Byakuya vowed to never allow Renji to get close to surpassing him, either.

-

Hisagi was pleased with his new captain, who was much like his old one in that he was responsible and hard working. Most officers and captains of the Gotei 13 were at least somewhat suspicious of him, however. Captain Takeno reminded many people of Aizen's false persona from before his treachery was revealed. In addition to seeming kind and understanding, he was also similar in appearance: unkempt, somewhat long hair and glasses. He was, however, usually unshaven, and quite larger in stature than Aizen had been.

Some of the few officers of the Gotei 13 without suspicion were Hisagi, who was loyal to his new captain, Byakuya, who maintained that he knew Takeno better than that, Captain Zaraki, who didn't really care how similar he was to Aizen since he was confident that he could kick Takeno's ass with ease, and Captain Kurotsuchi, who was the only Shinigami in all of seretei to notice that Aizen's glasses were fake. Takeno's glasses were demonstratably real, as they did not reflect light in the same way as flat lenses in fake glasses would, and Kurotsuchi felt that this was enough evidence to support the integrity of the new captain's character. (Aside: _This was not originally my idea. I read about Mayuri noticing that Aizen's glasses were fake by the way they reflect light in a fic before, which was a character study of Mayuri. I forget the title and the author, so since I can't give credit for it, I at least won't take any. If anyone knows what fic I'm talking about, let me know, so I can give the author credit. It was a great fic.)_

Particularly suspicious of Takeno was Captain Hitsugaya, who had never quite gotten over his burning hatred for Aizen, and was always keeping his eye on the new captain. Ichigo, however, did not suspect the captain of any wrong doing. Though good natured, Shunsuke was not without his dark side: he liked to make fun of people behind their backs, particulary with Kurosaki, who shared his sense of humour. Captain Hitsugaya was often the butt of their petty jokes, although he never found out until well after he got over his suspicions.


	4. Perception

_Author's Note: Wow, this is the longest one yet. I was originally going to post another one, but I figured that another drabble-ish chapter would do better than one that furthered the plot, so I'm going to wait a few chapters before posting the one I have been working on. Thanks to all who have reviewed, and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if you're interested, say so and leave contact info._

Some people asked Yamamoto why he had decided to put Ichigo under Hitsugaya's tutelage. He always just said that he thought that Hitsugaya was suitable for the job, and had nothing more important to do. Really, though, Yamamoto had his own reasons for placing the two together. Of all the shinigami in Sereitei, no two had greater potential than Ichigo and Tōshirō, and he felt that they would really learn best from each other. When asked if he had also forseen other things that would happen between them, Yamamoto merely gave a gravelly chuckle and a crooked smile, saying "fate has a habit of deciding how things will turn out for itself despite any predictions one might or might not make."

-

If asked which two captains in the Gotei 13 were most alike, most shinigami would say Kuchiki Byakuya and Hitsugaya Tōshirō. Both rigidly adhered to the rules, had a cold exterior, and were very dangerous to be around when angered. However, anyone asked would say that they ran their divisions fairly and justly, albeit with little creativity.

No two captains spent less time around each other, either. Therefore, it came as a shock to Hitsugaya and his subordinates when Captain Kuchiki showed up at the 10th division one day while Ichigo was out.

"Kuchiki?" Hitsugaya questioned when the other captain appeared at the entrance to his office.

"Good afternoon, Hitsugaya-taichō." said Byakuya, not dropping a even a small bit of formality.

Hitsugaya looked at him confusedly for a moment before responding.

"Good afternoon. Would you like to take a seat?" Hitsugaya offered, motioning to one of the chairs opposite him.

Byakuya gave a clipped "thank you" and sat across from Hitsugaya.

"Kuchiki-taichō, forgive me for being curt... but why exactly are you here?"

Byakuya closed his eyes momentarily, as if he was testing the area, making sure the was no other reiatsu close by that might be listening in, before responding.

"I would like to ask you a few questions about your vice captain."

This only served to confuse Hitsugaya further.

"Ichigo? Why is that?"

"I was wondering how you... deal with him."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, how do you deal with his temperment? He is stubborn, hot-headed, arrogant and dense. Is he not?"

Hitsugaya was nothing if not perceptive, and could sense something of a veiled meaning behind the other captain's words. What, exactly, he was not sure, but the very faint blush creeping up on Kuchiki's face, and the somewhat stressed tone of his usually-restrained voice were dead giveaways.

"I would think that you would know about this better than me, Kuchiki-taichō. Your vice captain is much like that too, is he not? You just have to exhert your authority. Be professional."

Kuchiki was also very perceptive in his own right, and could tell that Hitsugaya hadn't caught the meaning behind his words, or even more amusingly, noticed what many others had been noticing lately. Byakuya smirked slightly and changed the subject.

"I see. So, I also wanted to ask you about the vice captain's seat in your division that will be opening up when Kurosaki is promoted..."

-

"You have to do your reports, Ichigo." Hitsugaya said firmly to his vice captain for the twelft time that afternoon.

"I'll get to them later. Stop following me around, eh?"

"Do them now!"

"Why? They're just going to get sent off to somebody who's never going to read them."

"You have to do it if you're going to be a captain. Even Zaraki does his battle reports!"

"Zaraki dictates his battle reports to Yachiru, who _draws_ them."

"_Which is still better than not doing them at all!_"

"I'll do them later. I'm going to go spar with Ikakku right now."

"No you are _not_, you idiot, you're going to go finish your reports, or this is going to be a stain on _my_ record."

"Lighten up, Tōshirō, if they get done in a few hours instead of right now, it doesn't matter."

"I'm not _T__ōshir__ō _to you, I'm _Hitsugaya-taich__ō_."

Up on a rooftop, not too far away, two people were watching the exchange.

"Ah, to be young. Reminds me of us when we were like them, eh, Jūshirō?"

Captain Ukitake smiled silently at his friend's comment. He thought that he had gotten on a bit better with Shunsui than Kurosaki and Hitsugaya were with each other.

-

Ichigo thought they made a good team. He had gone into battle alongside many allies. Beating back thugs with Chad. Hunting hollow alongside Ishida. Tearing down menos with Renji. Hacking away at other arrancar with Grimmjow. But he never fought with anyone as well as he did with Hitsugaya. Wherever Ichigo couldn't be, Hyōrinmaru was there. Nobody he had fought with could react as fast or adapt to a situation as quickly as Hitsugaya. He didn't have to worry about who he attacked, because he knew that Tōshirō would deal with the rest.

-

Tōshirō liked the cold. Not much else was more comforting to him. Whenever he entered a room, from the sheer force of his reiatsu, the temperature would drop. This made some people uncomfortable around him, but he would be uncomfortable around them otherwise. Tōshirō liked the cold, but nothing was more reassuring to him when leaping into battle than Ichigo's blazing reiatsu constantly nearby.

He knew that if he missed a target, Ichigo would get it before he could even collect himself to make another attack. He knew that if he left an opening by mistake, Zangetsu would be there to cover it faster than he could ever hope to dodge or block it. He knew he'd be safe for as long as Ichigo's spiritual presence remained smouldering in the back of his mind.


	5. Without words

_Author's note: Sorry this took so long, I kind of hit some roadblocks in figuring out something to write, and I was also busy with final papers for a bunch of my classes. Anyway, here's something a little fluffy for you folks. Because I know you're all probably dying for something of the sort. This is probably my favourite so far. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I really had no plan for this chapter. It just kind of came, and I wrote it. Thanks to all who've been reading and reviewing. I was really suprised to see such a positive response to this fic, since I haven't written anything in ages. Some critical feedback would be appreciated, though. Anyway, on with the fic._

Since learning to control his reiatsu, Ichigo had taken to trying to see how close he could sneak up to people before they noticed him. He found it terribly funny to see the look on Renji's face when he would spin around after recieving a finger slick with spit in his ear. He could usually get within ten feet of Rukia before she noticed him, and he had given her an awful fright a few times. However, he could never seem to get near Captain Hitsugaya without being noticed. The small captain- who was now actually beginning to approach Ichigo in height- had very keen senses.

And so, Ichigo knew he had caught Tōshirō at a bad time one evening when he had managed to sneak up behind the white haired captain and suddenly noticed the chilly reiatsu eminating from him. Ichigo remained silent for a few moments, and Tōshirō still didn't notice him. Ichigo was not used to seeing him so absorbed in thought; Hitsugaya was normally mindful and aware, constantly in an almost meditative state. Except for when he was grumpy.

Ichigo gradually begain to relax his control over his reiatsu, letting the captain know of his presence without words.

Captain Hitsugaya, noticing the other shinigami's presence, reigned in his icy reiatsu, but remained silent, and did not turn around to face Ichigo. Neither said anything for a few moments.

"Tōshirō..." Ichigo began.

As if anticipating what Ichigo would say next, Hitsugaya responded; "It's nothing, Kurosaki."

Before Ichigo could say anything else, Hitsugaya had left.

-

After that, and also after an akward incident involving sneaking up on Renji and Byakuya as they were sharing a peculiar look with one another, Ichigo was a bit more careful about who he snuck up on. Nevertheless, he found himself approaching a brooding Hitsugaya in the courtyard once again one night.

Hitsugaya noticed Ichigo this time. He was making no attempt at concealing his reiatsu. Still, the smaller captain said nothing. What happened next, however, shocked him. He felt Ichigo place a hand on his shoulder.

"I know. It's a heavy burden."

Tōshiro tensed under the contact, and the burning truth of the younger shinigami's words. Ichigo paused a moment, and let his hand drop to his side.

"I don't want to let everyone down. It- it's hard to ..." Hitsugaya trailed off, his voice wavering. He began to lose his control over his reiatsu, and the temperature around the two dropped. Ichigo was silent a moment before speaking again.

"You don't have to be the only one to carry it."

Tōshirō was shocked to feel Ichigo's lithe frame press against his back and his thin-but-strong arms wrap around the captain's neck and upper chest from over his shoulders. He was even more suprised to find that he wasn't pulling himself away. Tōshirō relaxed into the firm yet gentle embrace, closing his eyes and exahing deeply as his tension subsided. Ichigo let his reiatsu roam and mingle with Hitsugaya's. Neither said anything.

They remained like that for much of the night, silent and still in the 10th division's courtyard. Anyone who saw them said nothing about it. Truly, not much could have been said to describe the unusual interaction between the two shinigami, both so vastly powerful, and yet so very different in nature. Anyone who saw them had witnessed a voiceless exchange of sentiments and a profound understanding that went beyond what language could convey.

And really, who the hell would belive a story like that anyway?

_A/N: The idea of Ichigo coming up behind Hitsugaya during a "private moment" is far from being one of my own. I remember reading it in somebody else's fic. Again, not sure what it was, but I won't take credit, although I'm sure scenes like that have been done countless times in literature and film. Also, don't ask me what exactly they're talking about. I'm not so sure myself, I just needed some kind of meaningful dialogue. Fill in the blanks!_

**I'm still in need of a beta-reader and a sounding board for this fic and possibly others. Somebody with impeccable grammar and vast creativity would be ideal, but if you can at least string together a proper sentence and provide some helpful feedback, I'll take it.**


	6. Igloo

_Author's Note: Wow, took me long enough, eh? Sorry, I've been occupied. What with wasting time playing WoW, focusing my attention on a website I'm working on, busying myself with school, dealing with Christmas, my grandmother's passing, and a prolonged case of writer's block. That and I was feeling rather spiteful towards yaoi fangirls. Sorry, that was a little vindictive of me. I'm not sure where the inspiration for this chapter came from, but I felt I should write something. Make of it what you will. Sorry if there are spelling or grammar mistakes. I'm exhausted and too lazy to proofread._

It was very, _very_ cold. Even to Hitsugaya, who was at home with brisk temperatures, was not entirely uncomfortable in the frigid winter of Canada's North, on Southern Ellesmere Island in the living world. Ichigo couldn't stand it at all, even with the additional gear he wore over his regular attire. He couldn't concentrate on the task at hand, fearing he would lose some of his extremities to frostbite.

They were sent to the remote location as backup to the mere handful of shinigami responsible for regularly patrolling the entire Arctic. The population in the vast region was small, but spread very thinly. As such, only two of the lower ranking shinigami patrolling the Canadian arctic had managed to make it to the sudden appearence of numerous high-class hollows in a remote area of Ellesmere. The two were approaching a small Inuit habitation, where the two shinigami were taking cover. One was badly wounded. The other noticed Tōshirō and Ichigo approaching.

"It's Hitsugaya-taichō!" the shinigami exclaimed. The wounded shinigami stirred slightly, but didn't seem to be coherent. A small Inuit boy with a chain attached to the centre of his chest was sitting by them, looking very scared. Hitsugaya sensed a strong reiatsu eminating from him.

"You haven't performed the sending yet?" Hitsugaya questioned.

"We were attacked before we got to. My zanpakutō was destroyed and Ogasawara-san's was lost when we ran. There must have been twenty huge hollows! There was no way we could have won."

Hitsugaya nodded, and checked his mobile phone.

"This child is clearly what they're after. His reiastu is much more prominent than either of yours. The senkaimon is just around the corner on the other side of that hill," motioned Hitsugaya, " it will close in ten minutes. Take Ogasawara, there will be fourth divison members awaiting you both. We will deal with this boy and those hollow."

Ichigo nudged Hitsugaya.

"Oi, Tōshirō. Those hollow are coming." he said, stifling shivers.

"Hurry, go to the senkaimon! We'll take care of things."

The Shinigami nodded, picked up his comrade, and carried her off to the gates. Hitsugaya and Ichigo drew their zanpakutō as the hollows encircled them.

"Keep them away from the kid. I'll finish them." Ichigo said, and lept off with Zangetsu raised.

Freezing though he was, Ichigo easilly cleaved the nearest hollow in two, and jumped to attack two more as they closed in. Hitsugaya killed a fourth and a fifth as they came nearer to him and the child. One by one, the two powerful shinigami effortlessly slew all the hollows. When all was peaceful again, Hitsugaya turned to look at the cowering child. He raised the hilt of his zanpakutō, and found that his hands were shaking.

"G-guess we're both p-pretty cold." Ichigo said, no longer attempting to suppress his shivering,

"It's okay. We can take shelter for a moment." Hitsugaya responded.

The boy was no longer visibly frightened by the two, although he could not understand what they were saying.

"Let's go into that igloo." Ichigo said, pointing to a nearby white mound, and started walking towards it, motioning for Hitsugaya and the boy to follow. Hitsugaya complied, although he didn't really know exactly what an igloo was, and the boy tentatively followed them.

It was unoccupied, although there was a seal oil lamp still lit and several furs haphazardly strewn about the floor. Whoever had been in it had left only recently and apparently in a hurry. It was cold, although once they had sealed the entrance, it was much warmer than outside. Ichigo sighed and laid back against the wall. There was enough room for Hitsugaya and the boy to stand. Without warning, Hitsugaya pressed the pommel of his Zanpakutō to the child's forehead. The pommel glowed, and the boy dissapeared as the igloo momentarilly became fully illuminated. When the light dissapated, only a hell butterfly remained behind.

Hitsugaya checked his mobile, and let out an audible sigh of frustration.

"What?" asked Ichigo.

"Another hour until the Senkaimon can be opened again."

"Oh well. At least we're warmer now. An hour will go by pretty fast anyway."

As it just so happens, an hour takes a lot of time to pass in an igloo with nothing else to do. Tōshirō soon found his mind wandering, recollecting memories of vivid, desperate dreams, uncomfortable mornings and comforting arms. Soon the igloo began to grow cold as the flame of the lamp slowly began to die, flickering ever more weakly, and as Hitsugaya slackened the reign he held on his reiatsu. His silent reverie was interrupted as Ichigo began to shiver again.

Ichigo was suprised to feel a slender arm snake its way around his back as Tōshirō drew close to him. He wraped his own arms around the captain's torso, holding him near for warmth.

All the understandings Ichigo had of propriety in his relationship with the young captain meant nothing to him anymore. All notions of what was right had gone out the window long ago, truth be told. He hadn't before lived in a place where doing the sorts of things he often thought about would be okay. But he knew Soul Society was different. He knew that the moment he accepted the Gotei 13's offer, his life - or death, rather - would change in more ways than one.

Hitsugaya wasn't the type of person to let his emotions run rampant if he could help it. He only ever let his temper get the best of him often; there was nothing he could really do about that one. It was quite overwhelming to him that his feelings for Ichigo would be so fiery, so unrelenting. He wasn't sure if it was even worth figthing anymore.

Tōshirō buried his face into Ichigo's chest, and Ichigo let his rest lightly in the mess of white hair below him. He tightened his embrace, and Hitsugaya let out an audible noise that Ichigo felt in on his skin through the robes.

"Tōshirō.. I -" but his voice caught in his throat before he could finish.

Ichigo felt Hitsugaya clench his robes with his fists as he slowly drew his head up to look at Ichigo. His nose and cheeks were tinged with pink, and his lips were dry.

"Ichigo..."

Slowly, tentatively, Hitsugaya inched his face towards Ichigo's. Time seemed to slow down dramatically. Everything was intensely vivd, and as their lips brushed together softly together, each's tensions, hesitations and desperation were palpable to the other. Hitsugaya was breathing erratically, and holding on to Ichigo as if he were the last thing in the world that mattered to him, and as if he was immensely terrified to lose him. Ichigo's heart pounded viciously in his chest, and he could feel again every part of his cold-numbed body.

Their lips parted momentarily, and as their noses touched, Ichigo whispered something that, though inaudible, Hitsugaya understood perfectly. The feeble flame of the lamp had finally died, and they met again with passionate vigor and renewed strength, their reiatsu mingling together as they explored each other in the darkness of the igloo. By the end of one long hour, they were on their way back to Soul Society, each carrying one less burdensome secret.

_A/N: A beta reader would be nice. If you can string together a proper sentence and can provide useful feedback, let me know, as I could use somebody as a sounding board, proofreader and a person to pester me to update more often._


	7. Specimen

_Author's note: Just a little something to keep this thing going. Not my best, but I'm working on another chapter right now. I'll take a break from all the HitsuIchi for a bit to look at some other things, possibly even some hetero stuff (o shit, lol)_

Many people knew about them. Naturally, friends found out first. Captain Matsumoto claimed that she knew all along, and Captain Kuchiki really did. Renji found out from Ichigo eventually, and so did Rukia. Ikakku heard from Renji, and Yumichika from Ikakku. Hitsugaya shared the news only directly with Hinamori. Nobody made a huge fuss over it. Renji was too absorbed in his own issues to really be that taken aback. Rukia was suprised, but happy to hear about it. Ikakku laughed heartily, and Yumichika thought that they were very beautiful together. Hinamori didn't quite understand until she got to know her new captain better. Byakuya saw himself in Hitsugaya in a way, and began to develop a friendlier relationship with his colleague. All was well and good. Most people took the news fairly well. However, some did not.

It was after a captain's meeting, Ichigo's first after being promoted. Captain Kurotsuchi was heading back to his own division headquarters when he remembered that he was supposed to pick up a hollow specemin from Captain Hitsugaya's division. He would have normally sent Nemu to fetch it, but she was at the Vice-Captain's meeting. Rather than let the oafs in his own division damage the specimen while trasporting it, he decided to see to the matter himself and set off for the 10th division headquarters.

Upon arriving, there were some complications and misunderstandings between Kurotsuchi Mayuri and the various seated officers of the 10th division. After several failed attempts to obtain the specimen, Captain Kurotsuchi stormed into Hitsugaya's office to demand access to the hollow directly from the other captain. He did not expect, upon entering the office, to see Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Kurosaki in a rather... agreeable position on Hitsugaya's desk.

Without even pausing to hear an exclaimation or say anything, Captain Kurotsuchi stormed out of the office and all the way to the 1st division in a seething fury to complain directly to Yamamoto-Genryussai.

"I cannot _believe_ you would let such diruptive behaviour take place. Such fraternizing is _inexcusable_ and completely undermines the principles of the Gotei 13. I _demand_ that you do something about this irresponsible and unprofessional behaviour!"

Yamamoto nodded and assured Captain Kurotsuchi that he would look into the matter in due course. In actuality, he had no intention of doing or saying anything to the two young captains. It had been centuries since he had bothered to keep officers of the Gotei 13, even captains, from fraternizing with each other. It just wasn't worth the struggle.

It wasn't long after Mayuri found out that the rest of the captains began to learn of the nature of Hitsugaya and Kurosaki's relationship.

Soi Fon was interested in more important things.

Captain Unohana merely smiled, and gave a light chuckle. "Boys will be boys."

Captain Komamura merely grunted and didn't give it any thought.

Shunsui wasn't very suprised. Captain Ukitake put extra strawberry flavoured candies with the next package of sweets he gave to Tōshirō.

Captain Takeno made silly jokes about the two with his other colleagues.

Kenpachi shared a laugh with Ikakku about it. One day, however, Yumichika asked him what he thought of it.

"All the better. You know why I never do anything when guys in this division get caught hookin' up with each other? Not all of them fight their best for the sake of fighting. They would do it for each other, though. It makes 'em better fighters, and that's all I care about."

"So Hitsugaya-taichō and Kurosaki will fight harder for the sake of their love? That's very beautiful, Taichō."

"What the hell? That isn't what I said at all."

After a few silent moments of thought, Zaraki spoke again.

"I guess it's true, though."


	8. Your Hand in Mine

_Author's note: Hey, I said there would be some peripheral ByaRenji and other stuff, right? Well, I decided to take a break from all the IchiHitsu to get some new ideas on it. Sorry if you were hoping for more IchiHitsu. I promise there'll be more next time. I just honestly felt like I wanted to do something a little different. Also, thanks to the few that offered to beta. I'll get around to talking to one of you eventually, or I may just find somebody through this fabulous new beta reader system we seem to have._

The 6th division headquarters were becoming a very hazardousplace to be around. The daily sparring between the captain and his lieutennant was becomming ever more intense and violent. The constant pounding the walls took from misfired kidō spells, vicious attacks from released zanpakutō and the explosive reiatsu of the two combatants were beginning to take a toll on the structural integrity of the buildings around the division's courtyard. The other seated officers were very concerned. Never before had the sparring sessions between their captain and vice-captain been so frequent. They had also always been very restrained, without either even releasing their shikai.

One day, Ichigo and Rukia had snuck up to watch the two fight. It was quite the spectacle. The normally dignified and impeccably dressed Captain Kuchiki was a sight to behold with his torn, bloodied attire and face contorted with an intenesly vivd array of emotions. Renji was little different, with his fiery locks of hair askew and only the hakama of his uniform remaining. Sweat and blood mingled on his bare, muscular, tattooed chest as he held his sword tightly, waiting for the next chance to strike.

Ichigo sniffed. "Whatever, this is stupid. I'm leaving, Rukia."

Ichigo turned around to walk away, but as he was about to flash-step his way to the 10th division, he was sent flying forwards by a misfired kidō spell which struck the roof he was standing on just behind his feet. Irritated and dissheveled, Ichigo got up and turned back to see that Rukia had deftly dodged the blast and stood several metres from the hole in the roof, quietly snickering at him.

"Thanks for the warning, Rukia."

-

Later that night, Renji came wandering back to his own division after a night out drinking with Ikakku, Kira and Hisagi. He had taken it easy with the sake; he had a bad enough headache as it was from his afternoon spar with Captain Kuchiki. Even still, he was more than a little tipsy as he made his way to his room. As he neared the building in which seated officers had their quarters, he noticed a heavy, turbulent reiatsu laid thickly about the division headquarters. After a moment of silently searching out the source, recognized it as his captain's. It was coming from the captain's quarters.

_'What could be wrong with Kuchiki-taichō...? I've never felt his reiatsu like this before.'_

Normally, Renji would not pry into his captain's personal matters, but Kuchiki's reiatsu was laden thickly with a sense of fear, and even just a tinge of sadness. If something could trouble Kuchiki Byakuya like this, it had to be serious.

Renji made his way to the captain's quarters and knocked on the door.

"Taichō?" Renji called.

At first, there was no answer. Byakuya's reiatsu pulsed violently, and suddenly, Renji could hear the faintest of sounds coming from the room.

"R-Rukia... no.. Hisana... so.. sorry. I..."

"Taichō?" Renji called again, somewhat louder.

Still there was no response.. just low mumbling and a suffocating reiatsu. Renji couldn't make out what he was saying, until he let out a low, hoarse cry, and then..

"No... not... please. Renji.. I... Renji!"

It would take a brave man to walk into Captain Kuchiki's private quarters unbidden, but Renji was drunk enough to throw caution to the wind. He was worried. So, he opened the door to the room and walked into the dark, thick atmosphere to see his captain laying asleep on his futon, drawing in short, ragged breaths. He was in a cold sweat, his face contorted with fear and anger.

"Taichō!" Renji said, not loud, but firmly.

Byakuya bolted upright and took in a sharp breath, his hands grasping his sheets tightly at his sides. He rested his face in his hands and took in slow, deep breaths. As he slowly registered his surroundings, he noticed Renji's strong, warm reiatsu burning steadily away nearby. He turned his head to look, and saw his vice-captain standing just a few feet inside the doorway, the concern and confusion on his face partly obscured by the darkness of the night.

Renji regarded his captain as he slowly regained his composure. He looked almost like a scared child, but the expression on his face looked almost... pained. He'd only ever seen the man this... exposed once before. When, bloodied and battered, he grasped Ichimaru Gin's zanpakutō, piercing his chest, while holding Rukia safely with the other arm on the day of Aizen's betrayal.

"Taichō, are you alright?"

After a moment, Byakuya responded. "Ren- Abarai? Why are you here?"

"With the kind of reiatsu you were giving off, you could have killed some of the newer recruits. I came to see if something was wrong..." Renji paused, then.. "Taichō... were you having a nightmare?"

With an exhausted sigh, Byakuya laid back on his futon, his arms spread out at his sides, breathing heavily as he stared at the ceiling. Renji walked into the bathroom briefly, and came out with a cold, wet cloth that he laid across Byakuya's forehead.

"Will you be okay?" Renji asked.

Byakuya sighed as he closed his eyes. He was exhausted, and the cold, stern mask he showed to everyone was nowhere to be found.

"Yes... I think so.."

Renji stifled a yawn, and turned to head to his own quarters.

"Wait, Abarai!"

Renji stopped before he had even taken a step to leave and turned back to face his captain.

"D-don't leave."

Renji was confused, and let out an unceremonious "huh?"

"Please, Abarai. Could you... would you please stay here?"

Had he been a little less drunk, Renji would have been far more questioning. But, he quietly acquiesced to his captain's request and laid down on the floor next to the futon, his head resting on the corner of it. They both laid in silence for a while until fatigue got the best of Renji, and he began to nod off. Before sleep overtook him, he felt a slender, but strong hand take hold of his own.

Renji was asleep before he could hear it, but a thin, soft whisper escaped Byakuya's lips.

"Thank you."

_A/N: Whew, that was a bit longer than normal. I'm kind of happy with it. I wrote the second half tonight after I got the idea while I was in the shower. This chapter is a product of insomnia and weeks of mental inactivity, so be kind. Also, sorry for taking so long to update. Life has been a veritable shitstorm lately. See you folks next chapter. Lord knows when that will be._


	9. Paperwork

_Author's Note: Heya, sorry for the delay. I've been faced with a bit of writer's block recently. I've had a ton of ideas floating around, but I can't seen to get them to manifest. This chapter is less of a drabble and more of an actual chapter. I didn't mean for it to get so long, but it ended up needing to drag on a bit to get the ideas across. Also, there's only mentions of IchiHitsu and ByaRenji in this one. Sorry if you were looking forward to more yaoi, but there's another pairing highlighted in this fic. I'll leave this one a suprise for you. Enjoy._

It was just a day after a joint task force consisting of members from the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th and 11th division had finished up with an assignment in the living world. Their assignment had involved cleaning up inexplicably large numbers of menos in a remote region of Siberia, and preliminary scouting for a future assault on a large collective of fugitive arrancar who had taken to hiding in major cities around West Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe.

The captains, vice captains and some seated officers of the five divisions had just finished up with planning the next assault, and were now beginning to work on the paperwork involved. They were all gathered in the 11th division's headquarters late at night, scrambling to finish up the paperwork so that they could give a debriefing to the commander general and the rest of the captains of the Gotei 13 the next morning. Nobody was really very keen to stay for much longer. It had been a stressful mission, and the next assault was weighing heavily on the minds of those involved.

As soon as he saw the pile of paperwork set out for him and his captain, 2nd division vice-captain Ōmaeda Marechiyo opened his rather large mouth to protest, but before he could even say anything, Soifon cut him off.

"Oh, whatever. Just leave, you disgusting animal. Honestly, you're completely useless." she snapped at him.

With a hasty "thank you," Ōmaeda left the 11th division headquarters in a hurry while everyone else got started on the paperwork.

After not too long, Yachiru had dozed off and was drooling on top of the battle reports she had been drawing. Zaraki chuckled lightly, and turned to his third seat, who was off in a corner of the fairly large room, talking to Yumichika.

"Oi, Ikakku. Clean this shit up and ger her to bed." Kenpachi grunted.

Ikakku groaned as he walked over to gather up the pink-haired vice-captain and her crayons, and carried her back to the 11th division's residences. Yumichika gathered up Yachiru's paperwork and sat down at the table.

"I'll just, er, interpret these and write out the rest of the reports..."

Ichigo sighed heavily. He hated paperwork. Possibly even more so than Matsumoto. He slouched lazily over the stack of papers, his eyes half closed.

"Taichō, if you like, I will stay here to finish up the paperwork for our division myself." Hinamori perked up.

She was always very eager to please her new captain. He had filled a void that Aizen had left, but he also instilled a sense of freedom in her that Aizen hadn't. Whereas Hinamori had always felt she was obligated to be devoted to Aizen, she instead felt that Ichigo was the kind of person who trully deserved her devotion.

Ichigo didn't really understand what made her so committed to him, but Hitsugaya had told him about her relationship with Aizen, and he figured that old habits must die hard. He had been trying his best to not let Hinamori do all his work for him, but he was so grateful to not have do paperwork that he didn't hesitate to take up her offer this time.

"Alright. Thanks, Hinamori. I'm heading back to HQ. Don't work yourself too hard." he said with a relieved smile.

After Ichigo left, Matsumoto flopped her head down on her desk and let out a groan.

"Kiiiraaaa..." she began.

"Er, Taichō... we still have a lot of paperwork to do. If you left now, I could never finish it..."

Matsumoto groaned even louder and reluctantly continued to work.

Twenty minutes after Ichigo had left, Tōshirō was getting restless. He glanced over at his new vice captain, Kuchiki Rukia. Captain Kuchiki had finally decided that his adoptive sister could be safe in a vice captain's position under a trustworthy captain's leadership. Captain Ukitake was willing to give her the position in his division, but Rukia was reluctant to make Sentarō and Kiyone's incessant bickering and intense rivalry all for naught, so Byakuya had convinced Tōshirō to make Rukia his new vice captain after Ichigo had been given leadership of the 5th division.

Rukia was looking none the worse for wear, and was dilligently completing her assigned paperwork. When she noticed Hitsugaya's gaze resting on her, she looked back at him.

"Taichō?"

"Er, Kuchiki, you wouldn't mind finishing up the rest of this paperwork, would you? I'd like to get some rest." he asked hesitantly.

Somewhat taken aback that Captain Hitsugaya, who was known for for his hard work and dedication, would shove even the little paperwork he had remaining onto his lieutennant, Rukia took a second to respond.

"Uh, not at all, Hitsugaya-taichō."

Hitsugaya quickly finished up the file he was working on, then passed the rest to Rukia and left. After he had gone, Matsumoto started to giggle.

"I wonder what's got him hurrying to leave..." she said suggestively.

Rukia and Hinamori both blushed as they tried to focus on their paperwork. Kira chuckled nervously, and Yumichika burst out laughing. Even Soifon snorted a little as she tried to stifle a laugh.

"Anyone else ever wonder how in the hell those two got together anyway?" asked Ikakku, who had just returned.

"God, who even knows. I never understood it. What do you think, Kira?" Matsumoto asked.

Kira scratched the back of his head akwardly.

"I don't really know Kurosaki-taichō or Hitsugaya-taichō that well..."

"Kuchiki-san, you've known Ichigo longer than any of us. What do you think?" Yumichika asked.

"Er.. Ichigo has never really talked about love or anything with me."

"I guess it'd explain why he never made a move on that red-head chick." said Ikakku.

"Come to think of it, taichō never talked about relationships or anything with me either..." Matsumoto began.

"I wonder why..." Kira muttered.

"But Hinamori-kun, you know Hitsugaya better than I do. Has he ever mentioned anything like that to you before?" Matsumoto continued.

Hinamori, who had been trying her best to make herself look invisible, winced when she heard her name.

"Uhm, no..." she whimpered as she scrambled to finish up her paperwork.

"Oh, come on. I don't believe that for a second. Didn't you two grow up together in Rukongai?" Yumichika questioned.

"Yes... but Hitsugaya-kun never talked about those kinds of things with me."

"Yeah, whatever." Ikakku shrugged.

Hinamori hastily finished up the last of her paperwork, and left with a clipped "goodnight" as the discussion carried on.

"I wonder if it was love at first sight..." Matsumoto pondered out loud.

"Oh, that would be so romantic." sighed Yumichika.

"God, you two are weird. You saw the way they got on when Kurosaki first came here. They got along worse than Abarai and his captain." said Ikakku

Rukia blushed furiously, finished up her paperwork and with no more than an "I'm done," she left the 11th division as quickly as her feet would carry her.

"What's with her?" Soifon wondered.

"Uh, Madarame-san," Kira said, "don't you know about Abarai and Kuchiki-taichō?"

"What about them?"

"Ooh, I remember now!" Matsumoto piped up, "Rukia and Ichigo walked in on Kuchiki and Abarai doing something a few weeks ago. She didn't say what... I couldn't get it out of her. Ichigo could n't say it, he kept on laughing hysterically whenever he tried."

"Pssh.. figures." Zaraki muttered.

"Yeah, I always kind of thought Renji must be gay for Kuchiki-taichō. Why would anyone want to leave the 11th division?" said Ikakku.

"Well, I for one think it's very beautiful that he would do that." Yumichika said dreamily.

"Yeah, you would, wouldn't you." Ikakku grinned.

As the night carried on and it began to rain, shinigami in the room began filing out one by one until only Soifon and Kenpachi were left, finishing up the last of their paperwork. They worked quietly, with only the occasionally grunted swear from Kenpachi and the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof of the building breaking the silence.

For a moment, Soifon looked up at the ceiling in thought.

"Oi, Zaraki."

"Yeah?"

"What do you make of Kurosaki and Hitsugaya?"

She and Zaraki were the only ones not very involved in the discussion earlier.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why do you think they got together?"

"How the hell should I know that? What's taking you so long to finish your paperwork anyway?"

"The second division always has a lot of reports to fill out... and my useless lieutennant isn't here to help. What about you?"

Zaraki held up a drool-soaked piece of paper with covered in scribbles.

"Yumichika couldn't figure these out, so now I have to."

Soifon laughed mirthfully. Zaraki grinned.

"If you've really gotta know, though, I don't think it's supposed to make sense." he said.

"I don't know," Soifon chuckled and she looked at the drawing, "it looks like she was trying to draw --"

"Not the reports, dumbass. I mean Ichigo and Hitsugaya."

"Oh. How do you figure?"

"'Cause love ain't supposed to make any sense. If it made any sense, it wouldn't be love."

"Well, if it makes sense, what is it?"

"You know, the other kind of love. Like how you'd love your family or your friends."

"Ah, of course. I'd call that devotion or affection."

"Whatever. Something like that. Real love sneaks up on you, and before you even know it, it's got you and it won't let go. It'll either make you happier than you've ever been or it'll just turn your whole world to shit. And you don't even get a say in it or nothin'."

Soifon was taken aback. She didn't really think Zaraki was capable of such insight. He usually came off as a bit of a meathead in captain's meetings, and she'd never had to work with him very much before, so she didn't really know him well.

"You seem to know an awful lot about love, Zaraki."

"Well, Yumichika never shuts up about fruity stuff like that."

Soifon laughed again, and Kenpachi smirked.

"Hah... really? That can't be all." she said.

"Yeah, you're right. I've been around for a pretty long time. It's been a while, but I've had to deal with that love crap before. Nothin' I wanna talk about, though."

"I won't pry, then."

"Good. I'm gonna finish up this paperwork so I can get some damn sleep before the morning."

Soifon nodded in agreement, and that was the end of their conversation. Only the pattering of raindrops on the roof and the scratching of pens on paper broke the silence until Soifon had finished, and got up to leave.

"See you tomorrow, Zaraki."

Kenpachi grunted a goodbye, and Soinfon walked towards the door to leave. She opened it to see that it was a veritable downpour. She sighed wearily. If she flash stepped, she might as well have ran into a wall of water. She'd have to walk. As she started to walk back to her division she began to remove her Haori so she could raise it over her head to shield herself from the rain as best as she could. Before she had it over her head, however, she noticed that the rain had stopped hitting her. She looked up to see Kenpachi towering over her, holding an umbrella.

"Hey," he grinned.

"What.." she began

"Figured I'd walk you back. Yumichika brought this thing back from the real world. It's called an unbarrel or something. Humans use it to keep the rain off them when they're outisde."

Soifon thanked him, a little indignant that he would insist on walking her back to her division headquarters, but nevertheless grateful to be dry. They walked in silence until they reached the 2nd division. Soifon thanked him again, and walked up the path to the headquarters. As Kenpachi began to walk back, he stopped for a second. After thinking for a moment, he turned around and shouted.

"Oi! Soifon!"

She turned around halfway to the door to walk back down the sheltered pathway.

"What is it?" she asked.

Kenpachi grinned as he looked her over, her damp haori in her arms and her lithe, deadly form accentuated by the moonlight.

"We should fight some time."

Soifon laughed.

"Zaraki Kenpachi, is that supposed to be some kind of twisted idea of asking me on a date?"

"The hell? That's not what I said at all."

Soifon laughed again, and pretended to ponder the offer.

"Maybe," she offered, smiling, "Goodnight, Zaraki."

"'Night." said Kenpachi, grinning as he turned around again to head back to his own division.

_Wow, that REALLY dragged on longer than I thought it would. I hope you all enjoyed it, though. I've been kind of lazy and a bit preoccupied lately, but I wanted to put something down in writing. I'm not looking for a beta reader anymore, I'm just going to make due on my own for the time being. I hadn't planned on doing any Kenpachi/Soifon shipping, but I was inspired. As a couple, I think they evoke more maturity than some other pairings in Bleach would, even ones involving other older characters. I also think Kenpachi is totally badass, but also a lot wiser than most people would give him credit for. He always seems to have some kind of insight of his own styling, and understands things about people on a level that a lot of other characters don't seem to. Anyway, 'till next time._


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